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Dr. Charles Bowkley attaches a cooling applicator to Kristin Genatone's abdomen during a CoolSculpting session at Central Wyoming Medical Aesthetics. The vacuum applicator will treat the same area for about 60 minutes, freezing fat cells without damaging surrounding tissue. Frozen fat cells will eventually be dispelled from the body, never to return.

Kristin Genatone works out religiously - and you can tell. Her body is sculpted. Lean. She has the look of a well-trained athlete – except for a couple of stubborn spots.

“We all have areas that we just can’t get rid of, no matter how hard we try. It’s nice to have a non-surgical way to fix the areas that bother you,” said Genatone, who’s now connected to a machine eliminating her fat cells at two of her “trouble” spots: her inner thighs and abdomen. The machine isn’t burning the fat, like cardio, or sucking it out, like liposuction. It’s freezing it.

CoolSculpting's vacuum applicators gently draw in the tissue to be treated and cools it to - 10 degrees Celsius.

CoolSculpting eliminates fat without surgery or downtime. Central Wyoming Medical Aesthetics is the only practice in Wyoming certified to offer the procedure according to strict CoolSculpting guidelines.

“Outstanding patient results are our sole focus. All of our treating physicians have the training required to achieve that outcome,” said Dr. Charles Bowkley, a neurointerventional radiologist with Casper Medical Imaging and the lead physician for Coolsculpting at Central Wyoming Medical Aesthetics.

Think of a glass of water and a stick of butter. When they’re both in the sun, the butter is going to get soft but the water doesn’t change. If you place them both in the fridge, the butter will get hard, yet again, the water doesn’t change. The idea is to selectively freeze only the fat. There’s no permanent damage to any other tissue.

The science behind cryolipolysis is derived from an unlikely source: Popsicles. Research by Harvard scientists Dr. Rox Anderson and Dr. Dieter Manstein linked the formation of new dimples in children to the consumption of a large number of the frozen treats.

It turns out that having the cold Popsicle stuck between the children’s cheeks for long periods of time was freezing the fat in their cheeks. It’s called Popsicle Panniculitis. As the fat was removed from their cheeks, the dimples became more apparent.

Between 20 to 30 percent of treated fat cells die after a CoolSculpting session, and most patients see results after 1 to 3 months. “I saw results right about one month after my first session,” said Kristin who recently sat down for her second CoolSculpting treatment. “The results were pretty remarkable. I noticed a big difference, and my husband really noticed a big difference too.”

What to expect

A CoolSculpting session takes about 60 minutes. After selecting areas to be treated, your physician attaches vacuum applicators that gently draw in the targeted area and apply the controlled cooling. You may read, watch television, or take a nap during your procedure.

Dr. Charles Bowkley checks on his patient, Kristin Genatone, during a recent CoolSculpting session. Patients may read, watch television, or take a nap during the procedure and can return to work or another activity immediately after.

The area will feel cool for a few minutes until the tissue goes numb. The coldest part of the procedure is really when the doctor applies the gel pad on the target area before placing the vacuum applicator.

When the applicator is removed, the frozen fat will look and feel like a hard stick of butter. The area will be massaged for 2 minutes to increase blood flow and help facilitate cell damage. Massage has been proven to be 68 percent more effective in eliminating fat cells than freezing alone.

The procedure requires no anesthesia, so you can return to work and your regular daily activities immediately after treatment. There may be transient bruising or tenderness around the area, but it soon passes.

Kristin returned to work immediately after her treatment and worked out the next morning.

Consultations are free

A nurse massages the frozen fat cells to increase blood flow and help facilitate cell damage. Massage has been proven to be 68 percent more effective in eliminating fat cells than freezing alone. Immediately after her treatment, Kristin Genatone went to work.

The ideal candidate for CoolSculpting is someone who is on a sustainable diet and exercise routine, but who has a few stubborn areas of fat that won’t go away.

The consultations are free. Your physician will work with you to customize an individualized CoolSculpting plan tailored to your goals and your body.

Cool Night Out: Join the staff of Central Wyoming Medical Aesthetics for the grand opening of their new clinic. You can also see the CoolSculpting equipment and ask questions about the procedure from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 24 at Casper Clinic, 940 E. Third St., Suite 210.

Central Wyoming Medical Aesthetics: CWMA is Casper’s only results driven CoolSculpting site. It has partnered with Skin Care by Vondi to offer the most robust regional body contouring and facial aesthetics practice in Wyoming.

Dr. Bowkley is the only neurointerventional radiologist in Wyoming. He is board certified in Diagnostic and Vascular / Interventional Radiology. He joined the staff at Casper Medical Imaging in 2010 and also practices at Wyoming Medical Center.